Saudi Arabia: East–West oil pipeline attacked, shipments unaffected
The route, which carries around 4 million barrels of oil a day as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, was targeted. Saudi authorities said the fire had been extinguished and operations were unaffected.
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A new attack has reportedly targeted Saudi Arabia’s East–West pipeline, which the country uses as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for its oil exports. According to a statement citing an official from the Saudi Ministry of Energy, a small fire that broke out on the targeted section of the pipeline in the Medina region was extinguished, with no disruption to its operations.
The statement, carried by the Saudi state news agency, said no one was killed or injured in Monday’s incident. It did not say who carried out the attack.
An alternative route for around 4 million barrels a day
The 1,200-kilometre pipeline, which crosses the Arabian Peninsula through the desert, has become a more important export route because of disruptions to oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. After the conflict disrupted passage through the strait, Riyadh diverted around 4 million barrels of crude oil a day through the pipeline to Yanbu. This is equivalent to around 4% of global oil supply.
The attack comes at a time when passage through the Strait of Hormuz is severely restricted because of the war being waged by the US and Israel against Iran, bringing the security of alternative oil transport infrastructure back into focus. However, Saudi authorities’ statement on the latest incident indicates that pipeline operations are continuing.
Pipeline was closed for several days in September
The East–West pipeline has been targeted in attacks before. It was shut for several days following drone attacks in September, after which Saudi Arabia said the attacks had been launched from Iraq.
The latest attack comes amid an escalation in fighting between Saudi Arabia and the coalition supporting Yemen’s government on one side, and Iran-backed Houthis on the other. The Houthis have previously targeted Saudi refineries and oil storage facilities with drones and missiles. However, no one has claimed responsibility for the latest incident.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — Saudi Arabia reports new attack on key East-West pipeline
This article was prepared by compiling information from the sources above and rewriting it with the help of artificial intelligence. Our editorial principles
